Marcus Rashford and the act of courage that showed his ...

Marcus Rashford had his and his manager’s fate in his hands: with the last kick of normal time, the forward could and should have earned Manchester United the most thrilling of victories over their great rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford.

Nobody could believe he missed, but such moments invariably happen to Rashford. There is never a dull moment in the 26-year-old’s life, on and off the pitch. When he steps out of line, the world always seems to be watching, ready to pile on.

After Harvey Elliot then put Liverpool ahead in extra time, once a pulsating FA Cup quarter-final tie could not be decided in 90 minutes, you could see the headlines: with one easy target again singled out for a defeat that could have spelled the end of Erik ten Hag’s time in Manchester – out of the only competition his side can win – and potentially Rashford’s too, with talk of a summer exit not going away.